SPRINGFIELD – Cristina Pacione-Zayas was sworn in to her first full term as state senator for the 20th Illinois Senate District Wednesday, taking the oath of office just weeks after her appointment to succeed former Senator Iris Martinez. After an all-day, all-night legislative session voting on major reforms that stretched well into the early morning hours Wednesday, Pacione-Zayas was undaunted by the tasks ahead of her in Springfield.

“I hope the ambitious and transformative agenda I’ve been honored to participate in this past week will set the tone for what’s ahead in my first full term in office,” Pacione-Zayas said. “We face historic challenges at every level in the 20th Senate District. We need to bring about transformative and systemic change so we can all thrive.”

Best known as a tireless advocate for education reform and the Puerto Rican community, Pacione-Zayas was born and raised in Logan Square and has a track record for effectively collaborating and supporting policy leading to positive outcomes for children, families and communities. Her previous service spans Chicago Public Schools, community-based and advocacy organizations, and the Illinois State Board of Education, along with serving on transition teams for Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot. She holds a Ph.D. in educational policy studies from UIUC and currently serves as a consultant for Erikson Institute, a graduate school focused on child development.

Among her agenda items for her first term will be forming five policy roundtables, which she said she hopes will draw experts and community members to meet regularly for the purpose of helping her craft legislation in the areas of education, health, housing, small business and the workforce, and public safety.

“The best policy comes from cooperation between our communities and those who dedicate themselves to studying innovative solutions. I will be reaching out to the 20th District in the coming days to invite those who are interested in helping me craft legislation to apply for these roundtables,” Pacione-Zayas said.

The 20th Illinois Senate District includes parts of Chicago Wards 1, 26, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 38, 39 and 45, and Northeastern Illinois University’s El Centro campus.

The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus issued the following statement in support of Senate Bill 3066.

The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus stands in solidarity and firm support of SB3066 HA-5, Rep. Ramirez’s COVID Emergency Housing legislation to make sure that people at risk of eviction and foreclosure during the pandemic can stay in and keep their homes.

Communities across our state, and specifically communities of color, have suffered unprecedented health and economic hardship during the COVID pandemic. Hundreds of thousands across the state are currently at risk of homelessness, many of them in the Latino community, and facing the highest risks of contracting COVID.

SB 3066 HA-5 will give tenants and homeowners necessary relief by:

• creating eviction protections that include an extension of the governor’s eviction moratorium, sealing of evictions during the COVID emergency period, and protections for those attempting to make partial payments despite economic hardship
• legislating clear guidelines for the federal Emergency Rental Assistance program that ensure the most in need, including the undocumented, will be able to access relief funds
• stopping residential foreclosures though May 2021

We call on our colleagues in the General Assembly to join us in supporting this critical legislation during this lame duck session to prevent an eviction and foreclosure crisis that will devastate communities across our state and push families into homelessness.